AbstractLipids extracted with ethyl ether from 2 pools of hair each from Caucasian (ages: 13–14 and 15–18 yr) and Black teenagers (17 and 18 yr) were saponified and the unsaponifiable portions chromatographed over alumina toward concentration of the hydrocarbons. Of these, the paraffins were further enriched by use of silica gel columns, the petroleum ether eluate containing the saturated members; elution with solvents of increasing polarity gave rise to cuts high in squalene together with small amounts of other olefins. Temperature‐programmed gas chromatography was applied to the determination of the saturated hydrocarbon peaks, the branched and cyclic components which occurred at far lower levels, being ascertained by a heated pre‐column containing Linde Molecular sieves (5 Å). Then‐paraffins displayed peaks of C15‐C34, with several of up C45 being more conspicuous with the Black pools. The present preliminary data point possibly to a higher total hydrocarbon content in the Blacks especially, as reflected in the elevated saturated hydrocarbon contents. In terms of μg/g hair, the recoveries of squalene were 1642 and 1746 of a total of 1870 and 1987 for the respective white pools while the corresponding values were 2273 and 1640 of overall yields of 6935 and 3656 for the Black hair. The ratios of squalene to nonsqualene hydrocarbons were 7.2 for the Caucasian pools and 0.5 and 0.8 for the Black teenagers.